Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records (GCER) is the single most comprehensive source of information on Gloucestershire’s wildlife.
We collect, collate and analyse a huge range of information about wild plants, animals and habitats. Our growing database underpins the evidence which Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust needs in order to prioritise and carry out its important conservation work.
GCER holds over 1.5 million computerised records of species sightings, and new records are added every week. Much of this information is supplied by county recorders from the Gloucestershire Naturalists' Society – locally-based naturalists who are experts in their field.
GCER also has a substantial GIS mapping database with hundreds of digitised outlines of GWT nature reserves, Key Wildlife Sites, Priority Habitats and other features of wildlife interest.
...but there's more!
Local Environmental Records Centres (LERCs) like GCER exist throughout the UK: http://www.alerc.org.uk. They are a vital tool to ensure that wildlife-related policy and decision-making are based on the most up-to-date, objective information available. They also contribute to the wider national and international picture - check out the National Biodiversity Network and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to see how our data fits into the wider picture.
Bruce Shortland